[Woodcarver] clay as a carving aid

[Maura Macaluso]

 Hey all, I am about to start a class about clay model making and using armatures.  This will be an ongoing project intended to show my students how to design and carve their own original carvings.  I expect it to last a few months which means my students will bring it back and forth to class.  I know most of what I need to because I have worked with models and armatures myself but am looking for things I haven't thought of so people have options, depending on what things they might have at home already.
The class will possibly consist of two or three parts
1 sculpting a clay figure using an armature, making a pattern from it and then taking that all the way to completion as a woodcarving
2 designing a human bust and working out the details of a human face and expressions 
and possibly 
3 designing a relief carving in clay and then carving it in wood.

For the basis of the following questions, we will be using wire hangers and possibly tinfoil as our armature and will be using scrap wood as a base.

My questions: 
what is the best way to transport it back and forth without the clay model being damaged
What are the options for securing an armature to a base (some of these people do not have shops so what is available for them to use?)
Do you have any clay modeling tips that you can pass on?

And yes Mike B, I have re-read your Keep on trucking tutorial. Thanks, One of the few step by steps available on the web. If anyone knows of other, armature using, clay model making tutorials or videos, or making models for relief carving. I would be most interested. thanks

Thanking you all in advance.




 


Maura Macaluso
Maura Carving in NYC
www.carvinginnyc.com
917-494-0008
Staten Island Woodcarvers Club
New York City Parks Dept. Instructor
NEWR Instuctor
National Wood Carvers Association



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